Mindfulness Matters!Easy ways to incorporate mindfulness into the day

March 30, 2020

• The Toxic Effects of Stress

• What is Mindfulness?

• Benefits of Mindfulness

• How to incorporate mindfulness into your day

• Resources

• Guided Relaxation

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Today’s Agenda

STRESS and ACES

**ACES stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences

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The Toxic Effects of Stress and ACEs

Adverse Childhood ExperiencesACEs are experiences that may be traumatic to children and youth during the first 18 years of life and include ten categories under abuse, neglect and household challenges. Trauma is more broadly defined by subjective experiences.

ACEs

TRAUMA

How ACES and Stress Affect a Child’s Health

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The Good News!

7 Graphic: https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/change-your-brain-with-mindful-meditation

Regular Mindfulness Practice Changes the Way Your brain Responds!

Functional MRI (left) showing activation in the amygdala when participants were watching images with emotional content before learning meditation. After eight weeks of training in mindful attention meditation (right) note the amygdala is less activated after the meditation training.

Research/Scan Courtesy of Gaelle Desbordes at Harvard Medical School

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What is Mindfulness?

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• Strengthens self-control. ...

• Lowers anxiety and stress. ...

• Increases positive moods. ...

• Better decision making. ...

• Improves Emotional Regulation Skills. ...

• Increases self-esteem. ...

• Improves Health and Body Image.

• Improves social skills and communication.

• It can improve executive functions in their brain like cognitive control, working memory, cognitive flexibility and better grades.10

• It gives kids the habit of focusing on the present moment and ignoring distractions.

• It teaches us to stay calm in the face of life’s stressful times.

• It creates good habits for the future. When faced with life’s challenges, we know we can find peace by taking a few moments to meditate.

• It promotes happiness by lowering social anxiety and stress.

• It promotes patience.

• It can improve attentiveness and impulse control.

The Benefits of Mindfulness

• Mindful Wakeup: Carve out time each morning to take some deep breaths and set an intention for your day before picking up your phone or tending to the day

• Mindful Eating: Take your time, notice flavors, textures. Pause and breathe between bites

• Plan brain breaks and pauses between activities for yourself and your children

• Do a Body Scan: Find a comfortable spot, close your eyes, breathe, begin with your feet and move your awareness to each part of the body

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• Take technology breaks! Turn your phone off, place limits on screen time

• Go for a Mindful Walk: Pay attention to colors, sounds, your breath

• Create a bedtime routine: Gentle stretching and a meditation or quiet reading time. Stay away from screens for at least 30 min before bed.

• When you feel anxious or stressed practice Square Breathing or 1:2 breath (see next slide)

Ways to Incorporate Mindfulness Into Your Day

5 Fun Mindfulness Activities for Children

https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/5-fun-mindfulness-activities-children-breathing-exercises

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Breathing Techniques for Stress and Anxiety

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10 Minute Mindfulness Meditation that You Can Do Anywhere

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Body Scan for Kids

• Double Click on the photo to listen

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For Kids

HeadSpace- https://www.headspace.com/meditation/ki

dsThe Calm App

- https://www.calm.com/Insight Timer

- https://insighttimer.com/Guided Meditation for Kids- https://youtu.be/drfayLWgoZ4

Guided Gratitude Meditation for Kids- https://youtu.be/DYjNslq22Yw

Breath Meditation for Kids- https://youtu.be/CvF9AEe-ozc

Peace Out Guided Relaxation for Kids- https://youtu.be/ZBnPlqQFPKs

Mindfulness Playlist for Kidshttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ePkDoaIzU4

0IA06jFspek

For Adults

Tools for Teaching Yoga and Mindfulness- https://openphysed.org/curriculum_resourc

es/yoga-mindfulnessTED Talk-Mindfulness

- https://youtu.be/qzR62JJCMBQ- Meditation for Anxiety

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW7DdsBpH8A

- Guided Meditations

- https://www.tarabrach.com/guided-meditations/

- More Guided Meditations- https://chopra.com/articles/guided-

meditations- Deep Relaxation

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvldC6mzLvA

Resources

Questions? Email jnchalme@midcoasthealth.com